A mysterious illness in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir has claimed 17 lives, prompting urgent investigations by medical authorities. Dr. Amarjeet Singh Bhatia, Principal of Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri, confirmed that a common factor among the deaths is significant brain involvement and damage to the nervous system.
“Forensic teams from Chandigarh and Lucknow, along with officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), are on the ground. A shared factor in all the deaths is the involvement of the brain and nervous system damage,” Dr. Bhatia explained.
He also highlighted the recovery efforts of the affected individuals. “Out of the 9 patients admitted to GMC Rajouri, 5 have recovered. We’ve conducted preventive CT scans, but once the brain is involved, recovery becomes challenging,” Dr. Bhatia added. He expressed hope that the cause of the illness would be identified soon, urging the public to take precautions, such as avoiding sharing food.
While the precise cause of the illness remains unidentified, authorities have ruled out bacterial and viral infections. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah assured citizens that the health department, alongside other agencies, is working to uncover the cause.
On Tuesday, CM Abdullah visited the affected areas of Badhal in Rajouri and spoke to the media. “Since we received information, the health department and other authorities have been collaborating to determine the cause of these incidents. Tests have ruled out bacteria or viruses as the cause of death,” he said.
The Chief Minister noted that the deaths were confined to three families. “We are still working to understand the reason behind these 17 deaths. Since it’s not an identifiable disease, the police are involved and have formed a team to investigate further. A team from the central government is also present, and together, we are determined to uncover the cause,” CM Abdullah stated.
An inter-ministerial team led by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been formed to probe the deaths. The team includes forensic experts from Chandigarh and Lucknow.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had previously ordered the formation of the inter-ministerial team on Saturday to investigate these unexplained deaths, which have occurred over the past six weeks.